INSIDE 3DS MAX® 7 [Electronic resources]

1.

First, start with a new scene and create a Tube primitive of the following dimensions (Figure 8.30):

• Radius 1 = 2900

• Radius 2 = 3400

• Height = 7500

2.

Convert the Tube to an editable poly, select the polygons on the top edge of the tube, and extrude them up about 300 units (Figure 8.31).

3.

Select the vertical polygons just below the top edge of the tube. Extrude these polygons outward to create a lip on the top of the tube (Figure 8.32).

4.

Select every second face along this lip, and extrude these polygons outward, first a small amount and then a longer distance, to create fins along the edge of the lip. With the polygons still selected, extrude a small distance on the ends to keep the ends of the fins sharp. Delete the outside of the tube underneath the lip so that only the inside of the tube and the lip remain. Add extra loops of edges on the inside of the lip and along the top and bottom of the fins. This will keep the edges of the lip and fins sharp when a TurboSmooth modifier is applied (Figure 8.33).

5.

Apply an Unwrap UVW modifier to the Tube, and unwrap it so that the top of the lip, along with the fins, fits inside the UVW mapping area in the Edit Unwrap UVWs dialog (blue box). Unwrap the inside of the tube so that it also fits in the space within the unwrapped polygons of the lip in the Unwrap UVW dialog (Figure 8.34).

6.

Name the tube Pit_HiRes, and apply a TurboSmooth modifier to the pit model.

7.

Go to the Material Editor, and choose a blank material slot. Click Get Material, then choose Mtl Library from Browse From. Load Fierypit.mat and double-click HiRes_Pit. Apply the HiRes_Pit material to the pit model. You'll notice that the material is a Blend of a Red Lava material and a Gray Metal material with the alien design Pit_Pattern.tga in the Displacement slot (Figure 8.35).

8.

Apply a Displace Mesh (WSM) modifier to the pit model, and enable Custom Settings and Subdivision Displacement. Use the Spatial and Curvature Subdivision Method; set the Edge and Distance values to 40 and the Angle value to 10. Click Advanced Parameters, and choose Delaunay as the Subdivision Style (Figure 8.36).

1.

Disable the Displace Mesh modifier on the Pit_HiRes model. Shift-Copy the model without moving it, and name the copy Pit_LoRes. Delete the Displace Mesh modifier from the Pit_LoRes model.

2.

Copy the Pit_HiRes material over to an empty slot, and rename it Pit_LoRes. Delete the Displacement map from the Gray Metal material, and apply the Pit_LoRes material to the Pit_LoRes model (Figure 8.37).

3.

With the Pit_LoRes model still selected, open the Render To Texture dialog. In the Projection Mapping group, check Enabled and click the Pick button. Choose the Pit_HiRes model as the model from which to project onto the Pit_LoRes model. Click Options and choose Local XYZ in the Normal Map Space group. In the Mapping Coordinates group, choose Use Existing Channel and leave the Channel value at 1 (Figure 8.38).

4.

In the Output rollout, choose Add and add a NormalsMap. In the Select Element Common Settings group, choose Bump in the Target Map slot and make the Size value 1024. In the Select Element Unique Settings, choose Output into Normal Bump. In the Baked Material rollout, choose Output Into Source (Figure 8.39).

5.

You're now ready to render the Normal map. Before you do, make sure that you have a good projection cage around the Pit_LoRes model that also encompasses all of the Pit_HiRes model. In this case, resetting the cage and entering a Push value of 200 seems to work well. Once you've rendered the Normal map successfully, you'll see the Normal map appear as a Normal Bump map type in the Gray Metal material of the Pit_LoRes material (Figure 8.40).

6.

The only thing left to do for the pit model at this point is to merge the Pit_ LoRes model into the Landscape scene and make sure that it fits. Open the file Landscape_FieryPit.max to see how it should look at this point (Figure 8.41).